Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

Early Voting

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Beginning 45 days before the Election you can vote early in person or apply for an absentee ballot at your City/Township Clerk's office. You can apply for the absentee ballot and vote that ballot during the same visit! Early voting continues until 4pm the day before the Election.

If you prefer, you can bring your ballot home to vote, just be sure to return the ballot by 8pm on Election Day.

City/Township Clerk offices must be open for at least 8 hours the weekend before the Election to allow for registration and voting by absentee ballot. To check your specific clerk's hours, please click here.

ID Needed for Voter Registration

If you hand-deliver your registration application the staff person helping you will take your form and you don't need to do anything else.

If you are registering to vote for the first time in Michigan and you mail in your application, you must either:

Enter your drivers license number or personal ID card number where requested on the form

Send a copy of either your driver's license or personal ID card or a photocopy of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank document or government document that lists both your name and your address. Do not send an original document - only a photocopy!

The residential address you use for voter registration must be the same as the address on your driver's license. Submitting a change for a driver's license address will be applied to your voter registration and visa versa.

If you have never voted in Michigan and submit your registration application through the mail or at a voter registration drive, you must appear in person to vote in the first election in which you wish to participate. This requirement does not apply if:

You personally hand-deliver your from to your county, city or township clerk instead of mailing the form

You are 60 years or older

You are disabled

You are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

ID Needed for Voting?

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You must show a photo ID or sign an affidavit attesting that you do not have a photo ID in order to cast a ballot.

Voters with picture ID: Voters can satisfy the ID requirement by showing a Michigan driver’s license or a Michigan personal identification card.

Voters who do not possess either document may show any of the following forms of picture ID as long as it is current:

• Driver’s license or personal ID card issued by another state.

• Federal or state government-issued photo ID.

• U.S. passport.

• Military identification card with photo.

• Student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education.

• Tribal identification card with photo.

If you do not have a driver's license or other form of photo ID, you can get a state ID card at your local Secretary of State branch for $10. People over 65, people who have had driving privileges terminated due to physical or mental disability, or are blind do not need to pay this fee.

Voters who do not have acceptable picture ID or forgot to bring acceptable picture ID to the polls can vote like any other voter by signing an affidavit.

Questions regarding the voter identification requirement can be directed to your local city or township clerk’s office.

Overseas and Military Voters

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You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

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In order to be a poll worker in Michigan:

You must be registered to vote in Michigan

You will be entitled to compensation

You must be at least 18 years of age

Political affiliation required

You must be a resident of the county

You must complete required training

Students16 years or older who meet all other voter requirements may be appointed

Polling Place Locator

If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

Provisional Voting

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Provisional Ballots are counted 6 days after the election.

Voters who do not bring picture identification to the polls or do not possess picture identification can vote by signing an affidavit.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

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Any action or physical barrier that prevents voters with disabilities from casting a ballot is unacceptable. To ensure that proper accessibility is maintained, federal and state laws require polling places to remove or make accommodations for any barriers that prevent voters with disabilities from voting.

Care should be taken to ensure that the polling place is accessible: doors should not be blocked, alternatives to stairs such as ramps or elevators should be available, and lighting and seating should be adequate. Furthermore, at least one voting station should be adapted to allow a person to vote while seated.

If you require assistance in casting a ballot, you may choose a person to help you provided that the person is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.

If you or someone you know requires special access to the polls, it's important to call the clerk's office ahead of time to make sure your voting site is free of obstructions. If your precinct is not accessible, you will be directed to an alternative site that is accessible. For more information, contact your local clerk. Hearing impaired residents with questions may contact the Department of State's Bureau of Elections by TTY at (517) 322-1477.

Starting 14 days before the Election, you must register to vote in person at the clerk's office with proof of residency. Proof of residency must be current and have your name and address on it. Examples of proof of residency:

Driver's license or personal ID card

Current utility bill

Bank statement

Paycheck

Government check

Government document

Automatic Voter Registration

All eligible citizens who are not currently registered to vote will be automatically registered if they conduct any business with the Secretary of State office, unless they opt out. For more information, please contact your Secretary of State.

Election Day Registration

You may register to vote on Election Day if you are a new registrant or if you need to update your registration. In order to register on Election Day you must go to your City/Township Clerk's office (until 8pm on Election Day) to register and vote in that specific office. If you have already registered prior to Election Day you must vote at your assigned polling place.

Time Off To Vote

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Time off to vote is subject to the employer. Michigan law does not require employers to grant time off to vote for employees.

Verify Voter Registration

Voting Machines

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The voting system used in Michigan is optical scan.

Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.

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VOTE411 is committed to ensuring voters have the information they need to successfully participate in every election. Whether it's local, state or federal, every election is important to ensuring our laws and policies reflect the values and beliefs of our communities.